The glory of these forty days
we celebrate with songs of praise;
for Christ, through whom all things were made,
himself has fasted and has prayed.
Then grant, O God, that we may, too,
return in fast and prayer to you.
Our spirits strengthen with your grace,
and give us joy to see your face.
- Latin hymn, tr. Maurice F. Bell, “The Glory
of These Forty Days,” ELW 320
Lent and Jubilee. How does that
make sense?
Jubilee is about the joy of
following Jesus together. Lent is about following Jesus to the cross, hardly
the most joyful journey.
Still, as the hymn above reminds
us, Lent was never about sadness or feeling bad about ourselves or feeling
sorry for Jesus. Lent was always about returning to God, repenting of our sin,
and intentionally practicing our faith every day. And ultimately our Jubilee is
about the same thing: we cast aside all the work and business of church and
focus on following Jesus together, which is a joyful undertaking. We will
emphasize prayer and practices of faith, not out of obligation but as a joyful
response to God’s gracious gift of love for us in Jesus Christ.
Below is a list of Jubilee events,
from weekly practices to one-time events. Some will be part of our usual Lenten
structures, while others are unlike anything we’ve done before. All will emphasize how we follow Jesus
together, in joy and in reflection, leading us with Jesus to the cross and
finally to new life in his resurrection.
Thanks,
Pastor Andrew
***
Jubilee Events Schedule
What: Weekly Jubilee Events
When: Weekly on Sundays &
Wednesdays
What?! Sunday worship is the heart of
our celebration of Jubilee, just as it is always the heart of our life
together. Beginning on February 1st, 9:00 am Sunday Adult Faith
Formation is back by popular demand, as we dive into the video- and
discussion-based series Animate: Bible. Also, our regular Wednesday Bible Study
will continue at 3:00 pm every week, looking ahead at the readings for the
following Sunday, often containing a sneak preview of Pastor Andrew’s sermon.
What: Prayer
When: Every morning, every evening,
with every breath you take, or whenever
What?! Prayer is a central part of our
relationship with God, and this time of Jubilee would not be complete without
intentional prayer for our church, our families, people in need, God’s
creation, and each other. Pray as you walk or drive or eat. Get together with
others from the church and pray together. Visit with Pastor Andrew and pray, or
borrow his finger labyrinth, an ancient instrument of prayer. Pray out loud, or in your heart. Pray in song
or in silence. Pray.
What: Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras)
When: Tuesday February 17th
What?! We will celebrate the night
before Lent begins using a longstanding tradition: pancake supper. There will
also be games and fun activities at this event, hosted by Pr. Sarah
Friesen-Carper, Council President Erin Praedel, and other young adults.
What: Ash Wednesday
When: Wednesday February 18th at
7:00 pm
What?! Mark the beginning of Lent with
our traditional Ash Wednesday worship, receiving the ashes of repentance and
the bread and wine of forgiveness. For those unable to attend worship, Pastor
Andrew plans to spend the day bringing ashes and communion to anyone who would
like to receive them, so please talk with him to schedule your visit.
What: Lent Wednesday Study and Worship
When: Wednesdays 2/25, 3/4, 3/11, 3/18
What?! At 6:30 pm we’ll gather to study
the scriptural basis of Jubilee and how we are living out Jubilee in our own
lives. How can we joyfully follow Jesus together? At 7:30 pm we will move to
worship with Holden Evening Prayer.
What: LCS Jubilee Retreat
When: Friday March 13th,
dinner and evening introduction, Saturday March 14th daytime
What?! Join a group for a spiritual
retreat in which Pr. Sarah Friesen-Carper will lead us in a series of
experiential practices of Jubilee. Our time will include meals, a Bible study
consistent with our Lent Wednesday series, snacks, and original activities
designed to allow us to experience Jubilee as restoration of relationships
between us and God, and between one another.
What: Shots for Shots
When: Sunday March 15th
after worship
What?! Our annual March Madness for
Malaria fundraiser this year morphs into a basketball-themed event that will
put the fun in fundraising. After Sunday worship we will eat lunch and head to
the gym at Michigan Career and Technical Institute (11611 West Pine Lake Road
Plainwell, MI 49080), where our
own Karine Carls will host our basketball skills competition featuring star
players Jeff Minehart and Ryan McMullen, as well as some special guests. Using
a Thrivent grant, all proceeds from this event will benefit the ELCA Malaria
Campaign, where $75 pays for 25 people to be tested and treated for malaria.
What: Dinner with the Bishop
When: Wednesday March 25th,
dinner 5:30 pm, worship 7:00 pm
What?! Join Rev. Dr. Craig A. Satterlee,
Bishop of the North/West Lower Michigan Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America, for dinner and conversation about Jubilee followed by
worship to celebrate the Feast of the Annunciation. Bishop Satterlee will
preach at worship, which is an opportunity not to be missed. This event comes
just before Holy Week, near the end of our Jubilee, so we will use our dinner
conversation to reflect on our experience of Jubilee and consider how we might
move forward in the joy of following Jesus together.
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